DOCSLIB.ORG

HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd Preliminary Groundwater Assessment

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd Preliminary Groundwater Assessment HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd Preliminary Groundwater Assessment: Portion 23 (A Portion of Portion 15) of the farm Hoekplaats 384 JR DATE: October 2010 REVISION Final REFERENCE: 215_Hoekplaats COMPILED FOR: Umhlaba Environmental Consulting CC PO Box 731504 Fairland 2030 COMPILED BY: GROUNDWATER SQUARE Consulting Groundwater Specialists HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd – Preliminary Groundwater Assessment: Portion 23 (a Portion of Portion 15) of the farm Hoekplaats 384 JR Ref:215_Hoekplaats (Oct’10) Executive Summary Umhlaba Environmental Consulting CC contracted Groundwater Square on behalf of Hoekplaats Dolomite (Pty) Ltd to compile a preliminary hydrogeological desk study investigation to provide guidance on any future groundwater studies that may be required. The proposed opencast dolomite mine is on situated Portion 23 (a portion of Portion 15) of the Farm Hoekplaats 384 JR approximately 15km south-west of Pretoria. Mining will entail a conventional drilling and blasting opencast operation. The targeted mining area will be approximately 300m x 500m in size and approximately 40m deep. The following main conclusions were reached: The regional dolomitic aquifers was highlighted as a significant source of drinking- and irrigation water; Locally the direction of groundwater movement from the site is in a north-westerly direction towards the Hennops River and the Aalwynkop Spring. The northern regions of the quarry floor is expected to be at lower elevations than the Aalwynkop Spring; The depth of mining will be ±30m below the natural groundwater level. Groundwater will have to be pumped from the pit; The Zwartkop dyke may potentially compartmentalise the aquifers (depending on its weathering depth) to restrict the extent of the groundwater dewatering cone around mining; It is anticipated that the aquifer within the proposed mining area may be low yielding due to being chert-poor and with limited leaching of the dolomites (to the depth of mining); Borehole EUB-6 is situated on Ptn.23 of the farm Hoekplaats 384 JR. Six external user’s boreholes were indentified within a 1km radius of the property. The reported total daily abstraction recorded within a 1km of Portion 23 totals approximately 38m3/d. Once the mine intersects the natural groundwater table, groundwater will be pumped from the pit, resulting in a cone of dewatering developing around the pit. Although the extent of dewatering may be limited/restricted due to various factors, the potential impact on external users’ boreholes and impact on base-flow to the Hennops River and Aalwynkop Spring requires further investigation. The main recommendations for further work therefore focussed on the utilisation of a numerical groundwater flow model to determine/evaluate the potential impacts on external users’ borehole yields and groundwater base-flow toward the Hennops River and the Aalwynkop Spring. Dedicated hydrogeological boreholes should be drilled and pump tested to determine hydraulic aquifer parameters, for inclusion in the numerical model. GROUNDWATER SQUARE Page ii HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd – Preliminary Groundwater Assessment: Portion 23 (a Portion of Portion 15) of the farm Hoekplaats 384 JR Ref:215_Hoekplaats (Oct’10) Table of Contents Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................iii 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.1. Background.................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2. Mining Information ....................................................................................................................... 4 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE .............................................................................................................. 4 3. SETTING ........................................................................................................................................ 5 3.1. Regional Setting .......................................................................................................................... 5 3.2. Rainfall......................................................................................................................................... 6 3.3. Land-use...................................................................................................................................... 6 3.4. Morphology and Drainage ........................................................................................................... 7 3.5. Soils ............................................................................................................................................. 7 3.6. Local Setting................................................................................................................................ 7 4. GEOLOGY...................................................................................................................................... 9 4.1. Regional Geology ........................................................................................................................ 9 4.2. Local Geology............................................................................................................................ 10 5. HYDROGEOLOGY....................................................................................................................... 11 5.1. Regional Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................. 11 5.2. Local Geohydrology................................................................................................................... 13 5.2.1. Groundwater Use .................................................................................................................. 13 5.2.2. Hydrocensus.......................................................................................................................... 13 5.2.3. Depth to Groundwater Level and Hydrostatic Fluctuations.................................................. 14 5.2.4. Groundwater Flow Direction.................................................................................................. 16 5.2.5. Aquifer Yielding Potential ...................................................................................................... 16 5.2.6. Groundwater Quality.............................................................................................................. 16 5.2.7. Surface Water Quality ........................................................................................................... 18 6. POTENTIAL IMPACTS................................................................................................................. 20 6.1. Identification of Potential Impacts.............................................................................................. 21 6.2. Discussion of Potential Impacts................................................................................................. 21 7. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................ 22 References ........................................................................................................................................... 23 GROUNDWATER SQUARE Page iii HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd – Preliminary Groundwater Assessment: Portion 23 (a Portion of Portion 15) of the farm Hoekplaats 384 JR Ref:215_Hoekplaats (Oct’10) 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background Umhlaba Environmental Consulting CC recently compiled an Environmental Scoping Report for HOEKPLAATS Dolomite (Pty) Ltd. The proposed opencast dolomite mine is situated on Portion 23 (a portion of Portion 15) of the Farm Hoekplaats 384 JR approximately 15km south-west of Pretoria. Umhlaba approached Groundwater Square undertake a preliminary hydrogeological investigation. It was decided to perform a desk study, which could provide guidance (and serves as the basis) for any future groundwater studies that might be required. 1.2. Mining Information The targeted mining area will be approximately 300m x 500m in extent with a maximum projected depth of ±40m. The proposed mining will entail a conventional drilling and blasting opencast operation with the frequency of blasting being dependant on product demand. Rock will be crushed and screened to include the following products: 19mm concrete stone; 13.2mm concrete stone; 9.5mm concrete stone; ≤6.7mm super-sand. The installation of services will include the construction of the following: Plant; Settlement dam; Workshops and fuel facilities; Administration offices; Demarcation of the salvage yard; Connection to the water and electricity supply; Sanitation facilities. 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE Based on the project objectives, the following Terms of Reference were proposed by Groundwater Square on 07/08/2010: Collate and perform desktop exercise of available geological and hydrogeological maps/reports pertaining to the study area; Compile a hydrogeological interpretation of the expected groundwater system; Identify likely impacts in view of the Dolomite Mine design and geological drilling (no impact assessment
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Chapter 9: Conclusion
    CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION As mentioned earlier in the statement of the problem the Hennops River has gradually deteriorated in terms of its water quality and hydrological conditions over the past three decades. This can mainly be attributed to the catchment’s position which is situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria within the provincial boundaries of Gauteng – the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces but housing approximately 8,8 million people and regarded as the economic powerhouse of the country. The study area’s associated land use, activities and increasing urbanisation taking place negatively affect the Hennops River and its principal tributaries. Moreover, the river system is the responsibility of a number of local authorities, making co-ordinated planning and management difficult. Owing to the deterioration of the water quality and hydrological conditions of the Hennops River affected parties concerned such as local authorities, residents and business people of Centurion have started considering the Hennops River as a liability instead of the environmental asset with intrinsic values it offers to its surrounding environments. Causes of its deteriorated water quality and hydrological problems needed to be ascertained so that rehabilitative and mitigatory measures could be proposed and it is for this reason that this study was conducted. As such, this study’s main aim was to establish the present water quality condition and hydrological status and condition of the Hennops River. The water’s suitability for aquatic ecosystems well-being was also determined as fish mortalities continue to occur in sections of the Hennops and its principal tributaries. These sections include the upper Hennops River and Centurion Lake forming the centre of Centurion’s CBD.
    [Show full text]
  • Region 4: Regional Integrated Development Plan 2014-15
    REGION 4: REGIONAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014-15 1 REGIONAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN: REGION 4 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 7 2 SITUATIONAL OVERVIEW ............................................................................... 7 2.1 Socio-Economic Profile ...................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Population Size and Composition ................................................................ 9 2.1.2 Levels of Education ................................................................................... 10 2.1.3 Employment ............................................................................................... 11 2.1.4 Accommodation ......................................................................................... 12 2.2 Spatial Characteristics ..................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Main Components ..................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Characteristics of Region ........................................................................... 14 2.3 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................ 15 3 STRATEGIC DIRECTION ................................................................................ 16 3.1 City of Tshwane Vision and Mission ................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Endocrine Disrupting Effects of HIV Antiretrovirals in the South African Aquatic Environment
    Endocrine disrupting effects of HIV antiretrovirals in the South African aquatic environment E Gerber orcid.org 0000-0001-8578-6476 Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Science in Environmental Sciences at the North-West University Supervisor: Prof R Pieters Co-supervisor: Prof H Bouwman Graduation May 2019 24119172 I Acknowledgements I would like to sincerely thank and acknowledge the following people, without whom it would not have been able to complete this study. To Prof Rialet Pieters, who offered me guidance throughout my studies with unbelievable patience and invaluable support and encouragement. Without her help I would have been lost far too many times. To Prof Henk Bouwman, for his guidance. To the Water Research Commission for funding this project. To the best colleagues, Suranie Horn and Tash Vogt, who taught me a lot of what I know today. To Duan van Aswegen who drove endless kilometres with me on fieldwork. I could not have asked for a better partner to work with. To my parents, Anneke and Hennie Gerber, for encouraging me to be the best that I can be and for always supporting my dreams. Without them I would not have been able to achieve what I have thus far. To Eddie Kirby, who was a rock throughout my studies. To my friends that I have made throughout my post-graduate life, for all your encouragement and ‘moral’ support. To God, for granting me this ability and privilege to achieve my dream, and for the strength he has given me to Soli Deo gloria I Abstract The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment is a growing concern as they pose potential risks to human and environmental health.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Introduction
    1 INTRODUCTION This study is concerned with water quality and nutrient loads in the catchment of Hartbeespoort (HBS) Dam, a hypertrophic water body which had challenged stakeholders, governmental bodies, scientists and researchers for many decades (Hutchinson et al., 1932; Allanson, 1961; Toerien & Walmsley, 1976; National Institute for Water Research, 1985; Chutter, 1989 and van Ginkel, et al, 2001). The hypertrophic state of this water body is a consequence of many years of excessive external nutrient input, historical internal nutrient loading and nutrient input currently. The HBS Dam is utilized for a variety of uses including irrigation, recreation, domestic water supply etc; its trophic state has rendered it unsuitable for such activities. However, some of these activities continue with potentially catastrophic consequences. The Dam is of great concern to the water authorities who are presently engaged in trying to find solutions for recovering the dam’s water quality and the improvement of its bad environmental conditions (NWP DACET, 2004a, NWP DACET, 2004b). The control of nutrient input into the Dam is considered as the most important intervention strategy. An improvement in the control of nutrient input into the dam was achieved by the implementation of stringent effluent standards in the 1990s (i.e. total phosphorus(TP) < 1 mg/l and total nitrogen (TN) < 2 mg/l). Despite the decrease of nutrient loads in the catchment (National Institute for Water Research, 1985), and improvement of the trophic state in the Dam, it seems that internal nutrient load is still exceptionally high. The nutrient input in the HBS Dam as periodically measured by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) is still high.
    [Show full text]
  • VEDIC RASAYANA RITUALS VEDIC RASAYANA RITUALS +27 (0)82 304 9624 Centurion, Gauteng - WELLNESS PACKAGES - PAMPER PACKAGES (E) [email protected]
    (T) +27 (0)12 650 2012 / Portion 37, Vlakplaats VEDIC RASAYANA RITUALS VEDIC RASAYANA RITUALS +27 (0)82 304 9624 Centurion, Gauteng - WELLNESS PACKAGES - PAMPER PACKAGES (E) [email protected] ONE DAY INTRODUCTION PACKAGE: COUPLES RETREAT: nt’Shonalanga Valley Resort & Suntaluna Spa is both centrally - Introduction to yoga therapy 3hrs30mins located and easily accessible from Johannesburg and Pretoria - Introduction to meditation therapy - Private use of couples room city centres, making for an ideal escape from the hustle and - Full body massage - Introduction to massage therapy bustle of the city. - Ayurvedic facial R1410pp - Exfoliation and body wrap - Spa bath Location: - Champagne and fruit basket - Centurion West R2900 per couple - 20 min drive from Centurion centre, Midrand, Fourways, Krugersdorp and City of Tshwane FULL DAY PACKAGE: - Surrounded by schurveberg hills 5hrs - Full body massage - Hydrating body scrub / wrap Pretoria - Champagne and fruit basket Laudium rp - Hair and scalp massage / treatment do ers - Facial rug /K Erasmia ia - Lunch m as - Sauna / steam room and mineral pool Er R1300 pp Clubview M26 Ben Schoeman Highway HALF DAY PACKAGE: Hennops River R55 3hrs30mins - Full body massage - Hydrating body scrub / wrap Hennops River turn off N1 THREE DAY RE-BALANCE PACKAGE: - Hair and scalp massage / treatment BE SIMPLY... YOU - Sauna / steam room and mineral pool Gerhardsville - Yoga therapy N14 R750 pp Hartebeespoort - Meditation therapy Sandton Krugersdorp Highway - Massage therapy Things to bring: swimming costume when Hartebeespoort R 511 R28 - Emotional and mental focusing workshop making use of the hot and cold mineral pools - Creative nurturing R562 Physiotherapy consultation and treatment Midrand Olifantsfontein Road R3700pp sharing R550pp for 1 hr.
    [Show full text]
  • Kaalspruit River Rehabilitation: Vegetation Habitats and Vertebrate Fauna
    The proposed Kaalspruit Open Space Project, Thembisa, Gauteng Kaalspruit River Rehabilitation Biodiversity Scan: Vegetation and vertebrate report Date: December 2015 For: NuLeaf Planning and Environmental Tel: +27 12 753 5792 Fax: +27 86 571 6292 [email protected] www.nuleafsa.co.za Project by: Copyright Copyright in all text and other matter is the exclusive property of the author. It is a criminal offence to reproduce and/or use, without written consent, any matter, technical procedure and/or technique contained in this document. Criminal and civil proceedings will be taken as a matter of strict routine against any person and/or institution infringing the copyright of the author and/or proprietors. This document may not be modified other tan by the author and when incorporated into overarching studies, it should be included in its entirety as an appendix to the main report. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FLORA, HABITATS AND VERTEBRATE FAUNA EXPECTED ALONG THE PROPOSED KAALSPRUIT WATERCOURSE REHABILITATION IN TEMBISA, JOHANNESBURG by A.C. Kemp PhD Pr.Sci.Nat. G.J. Bredenkamp DSc Pr.Sci.Nat. I.L. Rautenbach PhD Pr.Sci.Nat. J.C.P. Van Wyk MSc Pr.Sci.Nat. December 2015 Kaalspruit River rehabilitation: vegetation habitats and vertebrate fauna TABLE OF CONTENTS: Table of Contents: ............................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures: ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen
    PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/40149 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-26 and may be subject to change. Catching the Crocodile: Organisational responses to water scarcity in South Africa’s Crocodile River Catchment Tobias Thabiso Schmitz ii iii Catching the Crocodile: Organisational responses to water scarcity in South Africa’s Crocodile River Catchment Een wetenschappelijke proeve op het gebied van de Sociale Wetenschappen PROEFSCHRIFT Ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. mr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, volgens besluit van het College van Decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 28 mei 2008 om 15.30 precies door Tobias Thabiso Schmitz geboren op 27 juni 1963 te Roma ( Lesotho) iv Promotor: Prof. dr. P. Hoebink Co-promotor: Prof. dr. T. Dietz (Universiteit van Amsterdam) Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. Dr. R. Ruben Prof dr. L. de Haan (Afrika Studiecentrum, Leiden) Prof. dr. L. Vincent (Wageningen Universiteit) © Tobias Schmitz, The Hague, 2008-04-14 ISBN 97 8909023 0726 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt, in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij electronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieen, opnamen, of op enige andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur/uitgever. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the author/publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Managment Framework
    Environmental Management Framework for Ekurhuleni June 2007 Produced by : Produced for: EnvironomEnvironomicsicsicsics Ekurhuleni Metropolitan In association with Municipality, MetroGIS and Mawatsan Gauteng Department of ABEMS Agriculture Deon van Zyl Conservation and Kweyama Consulting Environment Index 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE REGIONAL CONTEXT.............................................................................................................................................. 5 2. GEOLOGY......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3. TOPOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 4. HYDROLOGY.................................................................................................................................................................. 10 5. WATER QUALITY........................................................................................................................................................... 12 6. CLIMATE......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 7. AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL ....................................................................................................................................... 12 8. BIOLOGICAL
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparison of the Cost Associated with Pollution Prevention Measures to That Required to Treat Polluted Water Resources
    A COMPARISON OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH POLLUTION PREVENTION MEASURES TO THAT REQUIRED TO TREAT POLLUTED WATER RESOURCES Report to the Water Research Commission by SHH Oelofse, S Roux, W de Lange, BK Mahumani, W le Roux, M du Preez, HA Greben & M Steyn CSIR WRC Report No. 1845/1/11 ISBN 978-1-4312-0226-3 March 2012 Obtainable from Water Research Commission Private Bag X03 Gezina, 0031 [email protected] or download from www.wrc.org.za DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. © WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background and motivation Pollution of water resources is largely as a result of human activity and therefore could be prevented to a large degree. The quality of our water resources is deteriorating and downstream water users have to deal with the pollution impacts caused by upstream uses. This situation have resulted in a debate as to whether it will not make more economic sense for water users to treat water for use rather than to meet discharge standards. There are instances where discharge standards require water of a better quality to be released than what was abstracted for use in the first place. However, the National Water Act, 1998 places the responsibility for pollution prevention and remediation on the polluter, not the user. The development of the Waste Discharge Charge System (WDCS) is aimed at providing economic incentives and penalties for polluters to pay in accordance with the “polluter-pays- principle”.
    [Show full text]
  • University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
    UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG Evaluating the Effectiveness of the current Water Resource Management Approaches in Maintaining the Requirements of the South African Guidelines for Aquatic Ecosystem: A study of Hennops River Andronica Sadiki Supervisor: Prof Mulala Danny Simatele Ethics Protocol number: GAES-2019-07-01 A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences March 2020 i DECLARATION I declare that this research report is my own unaided work. It is being submitted for the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences to the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination to any other University. ___________________________ (Signature of candidate) 29 day of June 2020 at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg ii ABSTRACT Surface water resources management in the past has been coordinated on a centralized level. Currently management of this water resource is a decentralized ordination. The decentralization has seen great legislative development. The National Water Act no.36 of 1998 has brought about many changes in the water resources management field ranging from institutional arrangement to policies, strategies and water use guidelines. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the current water resource management approaches in maintaining the requirements of the South African Water Quality Guidelines for aquatic ecosystems. The study area evaluated was Hennops River, focusing on the parts of the River that pass- through Centurion, due to the controversy related to its sewage pollution. Methodologies employed during the study period consisted of literature review, water quality data analysis, interviews and questionnaire and observation conducted along the study area with photographs taken.
    [Show full text]
  • DISSERTATION O Attribution
    COPYRIGHT AND CITATION CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS THESIS/ DISSERTATION o Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. o NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. o ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. How to cite this thesis Surname, Initial(s). (2012). Title of the thesis or dissertation (Doctoral Thesis / Master’s Dissertation). Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/102000/0002 (Accessed: 22 August 2017). ASSESSMENT OF WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY IN THE KAALSPRUIT RIVER (SOUTH AFRICA) USING PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING TECHNIQUES. Submitted By MALEBO SALOME MOROLE Minor Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER SCIENTAE in ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT in the FACULTY OF SCIENCE at the UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG Supervisor: Dr. L. S. Modley Co-Supervisor: Prof. I. T. Rampedi Co-Supervisor: Prof. S. A. Bufo TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents i List of Figures iv List of Tables vi List of abbreviations viii List of appendices ix Acknowledgements x Abstract xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background to the study 1 1.2. Problem statement and justification for the study 2 1.3. Aims and objectives of the study 4 1.4. Structure of the report 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Introduction 5 2.2.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Resilience and the Interaction Between the Freshwater Ecosystem Services and Built Environment in the City of Tshwane
    Ecological resilience and the interaction between the freshwater ecosystem services and built environment in the City of Tshwane by Emmarie Otto Treatise submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Landscape Architecture (Research) in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology University of Pretoria Supervisor: Prof C du Plessis Co-supervisor: Prof P T Vosloo November 2015 © University of Pretoria Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby confirmed that the attached treatise is my own work and that any sources are adequately acknowledged in the text and listed in the bibliography. I accept the rules of the University of Pretoria and the consequences of transgressing them. This treatise is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Landscape Architecture (Research) at the University of Pretoria. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination at any other University. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Signature of acceptance and confirmation Emmarie Otto Date ii © University of Pretoria Abstract Nature and humans are intrinsic parts of the same system called a social-ecological system (SES), wherein freshwater ecosystems form one of the most important bases of the survival of all life. Human activities, such as land use and overconsumption, impact on freshwater systems; and freshwater systems also impact on the urban systems through which they flow. Changes in one part of the system, be it human or ecological, will impact on the other. If a freshwater ecosystem’s resilience is negatively affected and fails to retain its functional integrity, it will increase the vulnerability of the SES.
    [Show full text]